Carers' reviews on hold for now

Up to 70,000 parents caring for children with disabilities such as Down syndrome have won a temporary reprieve from reviews of their $87-a-fortnight welfare payments.

The Howard Government had put on hold the politically sensitive reviews of the carers' allowance for "a few months", a spokesman for Family and Community Services Minister Amanda Vanstone said.

The spokesman said the reviews had been deferred until a second review under way - of the list of disabilities that automatically qualify for the Centrelink payment - was completed.

It was pointless to review the people until the categories were properly defined, he said.

However, the decision also came amid widespread, negative coverage of the reviews in the print media and on talkback radio. Senator Vanstone's spokesman said 458 carers of people with Down Syndrome already reviewed had passed the assessment's medicalcomponent.");document.write("

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Opposition family and community services spokesman Wayne Swan said the Government was retreating from the political outcry. "I just fear it's a strategic retreat, not a change of direction," he said.

The 70,000 parents and other carers under review were given a five-year moratorium when the Howard Government changed the rules governing the carers' allowance. The five years are up, meaning they need to be reassessed to see if they still qualify for the payment.

However, Mr Swan questioned whether genetic diseases such Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis needed to be reviewed.

News of the reprieve came as unions and welfare groups blasted Prime Minister John Howard's assessment that the Government's work and family policies were "about right", after last year signalling plans for major reforms.

ACTU president Sharan Burrow said Mr Howard was abandoning working families.

"If the Government wanted to improve the choices available to working people, then he could introduce paid maternity leave without delay... provide more affordable childcare and review the expensive and unfair system of family and tax payments," she said.

Opposition Leader Simon Crean said Mr Howard's commitment to serious reform of work and family policies was "all smoke and no sausage".

Australian Council of Social Service president Andrew McCallum said welfare reform was urgently needed.

"It's a shame if that is the Prime Minister's honest opinion," he said. "He led us to believe there were some reforms in the wings... He should be roundly condemned."

Senator Vanstone urged businesses to become more family friendly by helping women move from work to motherhood and back.